The colonias of the U.S.–Mexico border form a loose network of more than 2,500 settlements, ranging in size from villages to cities, that are home to over a million people. While varying in size, all share common features: wrenching poverty, substandard housing, and public health issues approaching crisis levels. This book brings together scholars, professionals, and activists from a wide range of disciplines to examine the pressing issues of economic development, housing and community development, and public and environmental health in colonias of the four U.S.–Mexico border states.

The Colonias Reader is the first book to present such a broad overview of these communities, offering a glimpse into life in the colonias and the circumstances that allow them to continue to exist—and even grow—in persistent poverty. The contributors document the depth of existing problems in each state and describe how government agencies, nongovernmental organizations, and community activists have mobilized resources to overcome obstacles to progress.

More than reporting problems and documenting programs, the book provides conceptual frameworks that tie poverty to institutional and class-based conflicts, and even challenges the very basis of colonia designations. Most of these contributions move beyond portraying border residents as hapless victims of discrimination and racism, showing instead their devotion to improving their own living conditions through grassroots organizing and community leadership.

These contributions show that, despite varying degrees of success, all colonia residents aspire to a livable wage, safe and decent housing, and basic health care. The Colonias Reader showcases many situations in which these people have organized to fulfill these ambitions and provides new insight into life along the border.

Angela J. Donelson is president of Donelson Consulting in Tucson and co-author of Colonias in Arizona and New Mexico: Border Poverty and Community Development Solutions, also published by the University of Arizona Press. Adrian X. Esparza is an associate professor in the School of Natural Resources at the University of Arizona. He is co-author of Colonias in Arizona and New Mexico: Border Poverty and Community Development Solutions, also published by the University of Arizona Press.

“Published in 2010, the book remains relevant overall in highlighting key issues and debates found in scholarly and advocacy work in this field.”—Journal of Latin American and Caribbean Anthropology ?